"We are here, we are strong, your three per cent is just plain wrong": chanting members filled Macquarie Street.

Massive turnout for strike rallies

By Dennis Long

More than 10,000 teachers marched on the NSW Parliament on September 17 in a massive display of anger over the failure of the Labor Government to improve its salaries offer or guarantee full Treasury funding for any outcome to the salaries dispute.

Members delivered letters of demand for Federation's full claim of 25 per cent over three budgets.

The rally in Sydney was the focus of a 24-hour strike by members across all sectors.

The NSW stoppage was also part of a national day of action protesting the collusion of the state Labor governments to hold down wage growth for teachers across Australia. Members of the Western Australia -- State School Teachers Union (WASSTU) held a half day stoppage and a rally was held in Subiaco Oval Perth. Members of the Victorian branch of the Australian Education Union (AEU) stopped work for 24 hours and 8000 members attended a rally in Melbourne in the Vodaphone Arena.

Federation also held rallies in Coffs Harbour, Dubbo, Grafton, Port Macquarie and Wagga Wagga. Joint rallies were held with the Australian Education Union (Victoria) in Albury/Wodonga, Mildura and Moama/Echuca.

A further activity was a Sky Channel broadcast to 56 venues in isolated NSW communities. NSW Teachers Federation President Maree O'Halloran, AEU Federal President and Western Australian branch President Pat Byrne, AEU Victorian branch President Mary Bluett and NSW TAFE Teachers Association President Geoff Turnbull spoke about what's happening in their state regarding salaries and the impact of the national teacher shortage.

A major publicity campaign was run in the period leading up to the strike with more than 600,000 copies of a full colour four-page leaflet, "An Important Message for Parents", included with the September 14 edition of the Sun-Herald. A further 117,000 leaflets in nine languages were included with 11 community language newspapers.

Strip ads ran in the Daily Telegraph and the Sydney Morning Herald and radio advertisements ran on metropolitan and regional stations September 12-18, drawing the ire of Premier Carr. One of the radio ads said: "This State Government says it hasn't got the money to pay teachers a decent and fair wage increase. This is just not true."

Teachers at the Sydney rally and across the state supported that Professor Tony Vinson be nominated for the Meritorious Service to Public Education Award, recently announced by the NSW Government. NSW Governor Marie Bashir will present the award at a ceremony to be held in October.

Debate about MLC Malcolm Jones prior to his resignation on September 16 thwarted the efforts by The Greens to move a resolution in the Upper House to coincide with the strike. The motion would have recognised the "inherent justice" of the 25 per cent claim. At the time of writing, The Greens intended to introduce the motion at the earliest opportunity. NSW Greens MLC Lee Rhiannon said on September 11 it was "a disgrace" that teachers have had to take their wage increase demands to the Industrial Relations Commission. She called on the Government to support a 25 per cent salary increase.

Dennis Long is the Editor.

Charlestown MP comes to constituents

Exhausting all avenues to avoid a protracted salaries dispute

National Day of Action

Salaries case opens in IRC

School walkouts continue

More Sydney rally photos

Unfunded government initiatives banned

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September 2003 contents